This is Picaso at 1 day old.
This is Picaso at 5 days old and Saphire at 2 days old.
These are my miracle babies.
When I pinched the nerve in my back my hubby came to the rescue and started to take care of feeding the birds. I really appreciate all his help as I was unable to do many tasks, and still am. I am not sure if the change of caregiver has anything to do with this or not, but I really can't think of anything else that would cause the following issue.
My blue quakers laid 8 eggs from June 3 to June 16. Bella seemed to be incubating okay and the temperature and humidity in the aviary was fine. In fact my green quakers laid 4 eggs around the same time, from June 14 to 21st. Everything seemed normal. Eggs were candled and greens showed 4 fertile, and the blues showed 6 fertile one was sterile and the last one was questionable.
I was expecting the blues to start hatching approximately June 28th, but nothing. I left it for a few days and still nothing, so I candled again. We were still showing 6 fertile eggs and 2 sterile. I could see the heartbeat and also the black spot for the eye, but slow developement.
July 9 the greens started hatching and I have four new beautiful baby green quakers. That is the last clutch for the year, the nest box gets removed after the second clutch. Still no blues. We are now at 36 days of incubation.
My husband told me whenever he went out she was in the nestbox, so I assumed she was incubating. On July 15 I checked the nest box and there were only 6 eggs. I candled the remaining eggs and found 2 were sadly dead in shell and one sterile egg.
Unfortunately and careless on my part, I have never purchased an incubator. In all the years I have been breeding I have never needed one, but I needed one now. I had to pull these eggs right away. I didn't have time to order an incubator online as it would take close to a week if not more for me to receive it, and there are no stores here to purchase one. So I put my creative thinking to work and made one. Styrafoam cooler, 25 watt lightbulb for heat, aquarium heater for humidity, I had a hygrometer already so we were all set. I put the water in the cooler and added the heater. I already had a light fixture that was for a single light bulb and it had the prongs, so I cut a hole in the side and put the fixture through the hole and used duct tape on the outside to hold it. I put in the bulb and poked holes in the sides for ventilation. Plugged in the heater and the bulb and waited. The humidity went up and so did the heat. After a few manipulations and adding holes to the lid of the cooler, I reached a constant 99 degrees and 49% humidity. I put a wire rack in the cooler to hold the eggs and in went the 3 eggs.
I monitored this very closely. After about 1 week I candled the eggs, all three showed growth and movement. I was pleased, but still skeptical about the final outcome. I wasn't going to give up though. These little ones desrved a chance.
On July 31st I candled the eggs and noticed draw down in one egg (This is when the air sac gets larger just before hatching) I was thrilled. I moved the egg to the hatcher and monitored the humidity closely. One August 1st I found draw down of the second egg so I moved it to the hatcher as well.
August 2 came around and I watched the first little one hatch, his/her name is Picaso. The third egg showed draw down so I moved it to the hatcher as well.
On August 4 the second baby hatched. Everything seemed to be okay, but unfortunately it wasn't; he didn't last through the night. On August 5 the third little one hatched. This is Saphire.
The incubation period for these little ones was between 49 and 56 days when the norm is 23 - 25. It was a miracle that two of them have survived. We are on 3 hour feedings right now with watery formula and pedialyte.
I have no idea what their life expectancy will be, nor if they will be fully feathered. I don't know what their mental developement will be or even if their eyes will be fully developed and open. I do know these little ones are staying with me no matter what happens. They will be loved and cared for.
Will keep you updated with their progress.